Europe & Central Asia Regional Working Group Meeting – April 2026

LPSA’s Regional Working Group on Europe & Central Asia (ECA) aims to bring together government officials, policy practitioners, scholars, civil society organizations, and citizens who share an interest and expertise on decentralization, multilevel governance, intergovernmental relations, local governance and local development in ECA.

The next meeting organized by the ECA Regional Working Group is scheduled to take place on 28 April, 2026 (10:00 AM NYC, 3:00 PM UK, 4:00 PM CEST, 7:00 PM UZT). Registration for this meeting is required.

Register Here! 

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Topic: Small Municipalities, Big Ambitions: Assessing Local Capacity for Public-Private Partnerships

Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) have emerged as a prominent instrument for delivering infrastructure and improving public services, particularly in contexts where fiscal constraints intersect with growing development demands. At the local level, PPPs are frequently promoted as a means for municipalities to mobilize private capital, access technical expertise, and enhance service efficiency, especially in sectors such as water and sanitation, waste management, local transport, and energy services where infrastructure gaps are most visible.

In many countries, however, the decentralization of infrastructure responsibilities has not been accompanied by a corresponding transfer of technical expertise or institutional support. As a result, municipalities are often expected to design, procure, and manage complex PPP projects without adequate capacity or guidance, raising concerns about the effectiveness of existing policy frameworks and the ability of national PPP units, regulatory systems, and advisory mechanisms to support local governments and safeguard public interests.

This webinar aims to contribute to the ongoing debate on the role and feasibility of PPPs at the local level by focusing specifically on the capacity constraints faced by small and medium-sized municipalities. Rather than assuming PPPs are inherently beneficial, the discussion will critically examine the conditions under which they can be effectively implemented and the risks associated with their misapplication.

Agenda:

1. Welcome & Introduction – Tengiz Sultanishvili | Citizen Engagement Specialist & Co-Chair LPSA ECA Regional Working Group
2. Unlocking Local PPP Potential – Practical Experiences from Bosnia and Herzegovina – Goran Štefatić | Project Manager, Municipal Environmental Governance (MEG) Project, UNDP
3. PPP vs. New Public Goods – Lavinia Steinfort | Programme coordinator, Public Alternatives Project, Transnational Institute (TNI)
4. PPPs in Georgian Municipalities: Legislative Realities and Collaborative Solutions – Ucha Dzimistarishvili | Partner at Caissa Law, Academic Assistant at New Vision University, Georgia.
5. PPP: Past, Presence and Prospects – Gábor Péteri | Economist, Freelance Consultant
6. Q&A – Tengiz Sultanishvili
7. Closing Remarks – Tengiz Sultanishvili